The Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA), on Thursday, alleged that a Nigerian cleric, Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle, aged 58, an indigene of Iye, Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, has been brutally murdered in South Africa.
In a statement by its National President, Rev Frank Onyekwelu, NICASA said [b]Bishop Taiwo was brutally killed on Friday, 4 September 2026, at his residence in Kensington, Johannesburg, in circumstances that have left his family, friends and the Nigerian community devastated.
“According to the information available to NICASA, two suspects gained access to his residence and opened fire on him, reportedly discharging more than seven bullets.
“This was not merely an ordinary loss of life; it was a horrific and senseless act of violence that has robbed a family of a loved one and the Nigerian community of another precious life,” it said.
NICASA condemned what it described as a “barbaric killing” in the strongest possible terms, adding that the continued loss of Nigerian lives through violent crime “is deeply disturbing and cannot be allowed to become normal or treated as just another statistic. Every Nigerian life is valuable, and every murder deserves justice.”
He said NICASA had already brought the tragic incident to the attention of the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg.
Rev Onyekwelu said that a murder case has been opened at Jeppe Police Station, and investigations are currently ongoing.
“We, therefore, make a strong and unequivocal call on the South African Police Service and every relevant government authority to pursue this matter with the highest level of urgency, professionalism and transparency.
“We demand a thorough and credible investigation that will establish exactly what happened, identify all those responsible, apprehend the perpetrators and ensure that they are brought before the courts to face the full might of the law,” he said.
NICASA further called on the Nigerian diplomatic authorities in South Africa to continue engaging the relevant South African authorities and to closely monitor the progress of the investigation until justice is served.
Oluwafemi Adeniyi, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, promised to get back to our reporter when contacted for a response but did not as of the time of filing the report.
